Hogwarts: Foundation and History
written by Atharva Bikram Shah
About Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Last Updated
05/31/21
Chapters
13
Reads
1,207
Recruitment
Chapter 11
Before school term
Each year, the Hogwarts Deputy Headmaster sent letters to eligible witches and wizards who would be eleven years old at the start of the incoming term. These letters invited the children to be students at Hogwarts. If for any reason a letter did not reach its intended recipient, owls would continue delivering letters until the person received one (as was Harry Potter's experience when he turned eleven). The letter contained a list of needed supplies, signed by the Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions, Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus, which included uniform clothing, spell books, and cauldrons. Letters were also sent to existing students to inform them of the new supplies needed. Students usually obtained school supplies at Diagon Alley in London.[1]
Letters to Muggle-born witches and wizards, such as Hermione and Harry's mother Lily Evans, as well as Tom Marvolo Riddle (Voldemort) and Harry (half-bloods who lived with Muggles and knew nothing of the wizarding world), who may not have been aware of their powers and were unfamiliar with the concealed wizarding world, were delivered in person by a member of Hogwarts staff, who then explained to the parents/guardians about magical society, and reassured them regarding this news. They also assisted the family in regards to buying supplies and gaining access to Diagon Alley.
Hogwarts acceptance letter
Harry's letter was sent via normal owl delivery, since Professor Dumbledore had presumed that the Dursleys had explained to Harry about Hogwarts and the wizarding world. When no response came from the first, several more letters, each reflecting Harry's new location, were sent. Ultimately, Hagrid was dispatched to hand-deliver Harry's final letter. Once he found Harry, who was with the Dursleys in their vain attempt to keep all wizarding knowledge from Harry, Hagrid explained all about Harry's parents and what had really happened the night they died.[1]
While Remus Lupin's father was a wizard, Dumbledore personally visited the family to invite the boy to Hogwarts given the fact that Remus had been afflicted by lycanthropy. Remus noted that it was only after Dumbledore became headmaster that he could have been accepted at Hogwarts.
Students were allowed to bring a cat, an owl or a toad,[1] but exceptions such as rats and Pygmy Puffs were made. Moreover, students did not have to pay tuition fee, because the British Ministry of Magic covered the cost of all students' magical education.[17][70]
While most wizards and witches in Britain were educated in Hogwarts, they were not obligated to attend if they did not wish to, as some parents were noted to have home-educated their children (as Lyall Lupin originally intended to do for his son due to his condition) or send them abroad (as Lucius originally intended for his son Draco to Durmstrang Institute). This was temporarily changed in the 1997–1998 school year, in which the new Voldemort-installed regime mandated all eligible children to attend in order to weed out Muggle-borns from the school.
Before school term
Each year, the Hogwarts Deputy Headmaster sent letters to eligible witches and wizards who would be eleven years old at the start of the incoming term. These letters invited the children to be students at Hogwarts. If for any reason a letter did not reach its intended recipient, owls would continue delivering letters until the person received one (as was Harry Potter's experience when he turned eleven). The letter contained a list of needed supplies, signed by the Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions, Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus, which included uniform clothing, spell books, and cauldrons. Letters were also sent to existing students to inform them of the new supplies needed. Students usually obtained school supplies at Diagon Alley in London.[1]
Letters to Muggle-born witches and wizards, such as Hermione and Harry's mother Lily Evans, as well as Tom Marvolo Riddle (Voldemort) and Harry (half-bloods who lived with Muggles and knew nothing of the wizarding world), who may not have been aware of their powers and were unfamiliar with the concealed wizarding world, were delivered in person by a member of Hogwarts staff, who then explained to the parents/guardians about magical society, and reassured them regarding this news. They also assisted the family in regards to buying supplies and gaining access to Diagon Alley.
Hogwarts acceptance letter
Harry's letter was sent via normal owl delivery, since Professor Dumbledore had presumed that the Dursleys had explained to Harry about Hogwarts and the wizarding world. When no response came from the first, several more letters, each reflecting Harry's new location, were sent. Ultimately, Hagrid was dispatched to hand-deliver Harry's final letter. Once he found Harry, who was with the Dursleys in their vain attempt to keep all wizarding knowledge from Harry, Hagrid explained all about Harry's parents and what had really happened the night they died.[1]
While Remus Lupin's father was a wizard, Dumbledore personally visited the family to invite the boy to Hogwarts given the fact that Remus had been afflicted by lycanthropy. Remus noted that it was only after Dumbledore became headmaster that he could have been accepted at Hogwarts.
Students were allowed to bring a cat, an owl or a toad,[1] but exceptions such as rats and Pygmy Puffs were made. Moreover, students did not have to pay tuition fee, because the British Ministry of Magic covered the cost of all students' magical education.[17][70]
While most wizards and witches in Britain were educated in Hogwarts, they were not obligated to attend if they did not wish to, as some parents were noted to have home-educated their children (as Lyall Lupin originally intended to do for his son due to his condition) or send them abroad (as Lucius originally intended for his son Draco to Durmstrang Institute). This was temporarily changed in the 1997–1998 school year, in which the new Voldemort-installed regime mandated all eligible children to attend in order to weed out Muggle-borns from the school
Quiddich:
Tryouts for House Quidditch teams happened at the very beginning of the school year. The Heads of house had a list of applicants, which they would pass on to the team captain, so the captain could schedule tryouts at their leisure. First years were usually prohibited from joining a Quidditch team, because they were usually inexperienced with brooms and were forbidden to own them in the first place.
However, exceptions had been made on both counts. Harry Potter was a noticeable exception, he was allowed to join the team in his first year and was the youngest Seeker in a century. Teams had different reputations; before Harry joined in 1991, the Gryffindor team was noted by McGonagall to be on a losing streak and that she could not bear any more of Severus Snape's boasting.
The Slytherin team was considered to have no qualms with cheating and unsportsmanlike conduct. It was noted that the Slytherin team recruited players of brute strength, rather then skill
Quiddich teams:
Team Name: Gryffindor Quidditch team
Mascot: Lion
Robe colour(s):Scarlet and Gold
Known captains of the 1990s :Charlie Weasley,Oliver Wood,Angelina Johnson,Harry Potter
Team Name: Hufflepuff Quidditch team
Mascot: Badger
Robe colour(s): Yellow and Black
Known captains of the 1990s: Cedric Diggory
Team Name: Ravenclaw Quidditch team
Mascot: Eagle
Robe colour(s): Blue and Bronze
Known captains of the 1990s: Roger Davies
Team Name: Slytherin Quidditch team
Mascot: Serpent
Robe colour(s):Green and Silver
Known captains of the 1990s: Marcus Flint,Graham Montague,Urquhart
Students could go home for certain holidays such as Christmas and Easter. The students who chose to remain were treated to a feast along with some of the faculty.[1]
When Christmas holidays ended, classes would begin again. In Harry Potter's second year, Gilderoy Lockhart organised a Valentine's Day celebration which was not continued after he left the school.
The Easter holidays were not as enjoyable as the Christmas ones, as students were overloaded with homework in preparation for their exams, which were taken at the end of the year. Students were not allowed to use magic over the summer holidays until they turned seventeen; magic was also banned in corridors.
Each year, the Hogwarts Deputy Headmaster sent letters to eligible witches and wizards who would be eleven years old at the start of the incoming term. These letters invited the children to be students at Hogwarts. If for any reason a letter did not reach its intended recipient, owls would continue delivering letters until the person received one (as was Harry Potter's experience when he turned eleven). The letter contained a list of needed supplies, signed by the Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions, Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus, which included uniform clothing, spell books, and cauldrons. Letters were also sent to existing students to inform them of the new supplies needed. Students usually obtained school supplies at Diagon Alley in London.[1]
Letters to Muggle-born witches and wizards, such as Hermione and Harry's mother Lily Evans, as well as Tom Marvolo Riddle (Voldemort) and Harry (half-bloods who lived with Muggles and knew nothing of the wizarding world), who may not have been aware of their powers and were unfamiliar with the concealed wizarding world, were delivered in person by a member of Hogwarts staff, who then explained to the parents/guardians about magical society, and reassured them regarding this news. They also assisted the family in regards to buying supplies and gaining access to Diagon Alley.
Hogwarts acceptance letter
Harry's letter was sent via normal owl delivery, since Professor Dumbledore had presumed that the Dursleys had explained to Harry about Hogwarts and the wizarding world. When no response came from the first, several more letters, each reflecting Harry's new location, were sent. Ultimately, Hagrid was dispatched to hand-deliver Harry's final letter. Once he found Harry, who was with the Dursleys in their vain attempt to keep all wizarding knowledge from Harry, Hagrid explained all about Harry's parents and what had really happened the night they died.[1]
While Remus Lupin's father was a wizard, Dumbledore personally visited the family to invite the boy to Hogwarts given the fact that Remus had been afflicted by lycanthropy. Remus noted that it was only after Dumbledore became headmaster that he could have been accepted at Hogwarts.
Students were allowed to bring a cat, an owl or a toad,[1] but exceptions such as rats and Pygmy Puffs were made. Moreover, students did not have to pay tuition fee, because the British Ministry of Magic covered the cost of all students' magical education.[17][70]
While most wizards and witches in Britain were educated in Hogwarts, they were not obligated to attend if they did not wish to, as some parents were noted to have home-educated their children (as Lyall Lupin originally intended to do for his son due to his condition) or send them abroad (as Lucius originally intended for his son Draco to Durmstrang Institute). This was temporarily changed in the 1997–1998 school year, in which the new Voldemort-installed regime mandated all eligible children to attend in order to weed out Muggle-borns from the school.
Before school term
Each year, the Hogwarts Deputy Headmaster sent letters to eligible witches and wizards who would be eleven years old at the start of the incoming term. These letters invited the children to be students at Hogwarts. If for any reason a letter did not reach its intended recipient, owls would continue delivering letters until the person received one (as was Harry Potter's experience when he turned eleven). The letter contained a list of needed supplies, signed by the Chief Attendant of Witchcraft Provisions, Lucinda Thomsonicle-Pocus, which included uniform clothing, spell books, and cauldrons. Letters were also sent to existing students to inform them of the new supplies needed. Students usually obtained school supplies at Diagon Alley in London.[1]
Letters to Muggle-born witches and wizards, such as Hermione and Harry's mother Lily Evans, as well as Tom Marvolo Riddle (Voldemort) and Harry (half-bloods who lived with Muggles and knew nothing of the wizarding world), who may not have been aware of their powers and were unfamiliar with the concealed wizarding world, were delivered in person by a member of Hogwarts staff, who then explained to the parents/guardians about magical society, and reassured them regarding this news. They also assisted the family in regards to buying supplies and gaining access to Diagon Alley.
Hogwarts acceptance letter
Harry's letter was sent via normal owl delivery, since Professor Dumbledore had presumed that the Dursleys had explained to Harry about Hogwarts and the wizarding world. When no response came from the first, several more letters, each reflecting Harry's new location, were sent. Ultimately, Hagrid was dispatched to hand-deliver Harry's final letter. Once he found Harry, who was with the Dursleys in their vain attempt to keep all wizarding knowledge from Harry, Hagrid explained all about Harry's parents and what had really happened the night they died.[1]
While Remus Lupin's father was a wizard, Dumbledore personally visited the family to invite the boy to Hogwarts given the fact that Remus had been afflicted by lycanthropy. Remus noted that it was only after Dumbledore became headmaster that he could have been accepted at Hogwarts.
Students were allowed to bring a cat, an owl or a toad,[1] but exceptions such as rats and Pygmy Puffs were made. Moreover, students did not have to pay tuition fee, because the British Ministry of Magic covered the cost of all students' magical education.[17][70]
While most wizards and witches in Britain were educated in Hogwarts, they were not obligated to attend if they did not wish to, as some parents were noted to have home-educated their children (as Lyall Lupin originally intended to do for his son due to his condition) or send them abroad (as Lucius originally intended for his son Draco to Durmstrang Institute). This was temporarily changed in the 1997–1998 school year, in which the new Voldemort-installed regime mandated all eligible children to attend in order to weed out Muggle-borns from the school
Quiddich:
Tryouts for House Quidditch teams happened at the very beginning of the school year. The Heads of house had a list of applicants, which they would pass on to the team captain, so the captain could schedule tryouts at their leisure. First years were usually prohibited from joining a Quidditch team, because they were usually inexperienced with brooms and were forbidden to own them in the first place.
However, exceptions had been made on both counts. Harry Potter was a noticeable exception, he was allowed to join the team in his first year and was the youngest Seeker in a century. Teams had different reputations; before Harry joined in 1991, the Gryffindor team was noted by McGonagall to be on a losing streak and that she could not bear any more of Severus Snape's boasting.
The Slytherin team was considered to have no qualms with cheating and unsportsmanlike conduct. It was noted that the Slytherin team recruited players of brute strength, rather then skill
Quiddich teams:
Team Name: Gryffindor Quidditch team
Mascot: Lion
Robe colour(s):Scarlet and Gold
Known captains of the 1990s :Charlie Weasley,Oliver Wood,Angelina Johnson,Harry Potter
Team Name: Hufflepuff Quidditch team
Mascot: Badger
Robe colour(s): Yellow and Black
Known captains of the 1990s: Cedric Diggory
Team Name: Ravenclaw Quidditch team
Mascot: Eagle
Robe colour(s): Blue and Bronze
Known captains of the 1990s: Roger Davies
Team Name: Slytherin Quidditch team
Mascot: Serpent
Robe colour(s):Green and Silver
Known captains of the 1990s: Marcus Flint,Graham Montague,Urquhart
Students could go home for certain holidays such as Christmas and Easter. The students who chose to remain were treated to a feast along with some of the faculty.[1]
When Christmas holidays ended, classes would begin again. In Harry Potter's second year, Gilderoy Lockhart organised a Valentine's Day celebration which was not continued after he left the school.
The Easter holidays were not as enjoyable as the Christmas ones, as students were overloaded with homework in preparation for their exams, which were taken at the end of the year. Students were not allowed to use magic over the summer holidays until they turned seventeen; magic was also banned in corridors.
